Session Long Project.
Something solid and reliable on which to build your research and to inform the rest of your design.
As such, it is important to examine your own epistemological beliefs when selecting a theoretical framework.
Our beliefs are influenced by assumptions, values, and ethics, which are all personal postulates. It is impossible to not have preconceived notions, even if they are very general in nature. Due to this, your fundamental beliefs affect how you will examine and explore research, especially your theoretical framework. In this vein, it is important to reflect on your own worldview and way of conceptualizing problems. What is the lens with which you view the world? For example, if you view the world from a pragmatic lens, choosing critical theory would not be the best way for you to proceed with a theoretical framework, whereas, if you view the world through a lens of interconnectedness of human beings, social network theory might be a good choice as your study’s theoretical framework. There is no one theory
that fits best with any inquiry. However, it is the researcher’s responsibility to select and provide a clear rationale for the choice of theory to ensure that it aligns and supports the structure of the study’s purpose, research questions,
significance, and design.
In order to select the most appropriate and best-suited theoretical framework for your research, consider the following guidelines:
1. Begin by identifying your beliefs.
2. Consider several theories that intersect nicely with your epistemological values and broaden your way of thinking about the concepts in your study.
3. Develop a working knowledge of the theories and understand why each theory is important to you.
4. Conduct a brief literature review to find support for your theories.
5. Consult the ProQuest and Database to review how others have applied the specific theories you are considering.
6. Consider arguments that oppose your beliefs and theories.
7. Apply answers to “how” the theory connects to your problem, the study’s purpose, significance, and design.
8. Select one theoretical framework that provides a solid, descriptive ‘blueprint’ for your reader